Chapter 3

Jen sat nervously in the auditorium when she felt her cell phone buzz in her purse. "Hello?" she whispered.

"Are you there?" Michael asked.

"Yes, and he's speaking right now."

"What are you going to do?"

"Michael, I don't know. I probably won't do anything. I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"You have to at least talk to him."

"Michael, I don't know. But I can't speak right now."

"Okay, call me right after, okay? I love you."

"I will. I love you too." Jen snapped her cell phone shut.

She couldn't believe she was sitting here in this crowded hall, listening to Gerard Powers speak. She couldn't believe she had let her husband talk her into coming, when he saw the announcement that Gerard was going to be the featured speaker at this business conference. Michael was obsessed with her hooking up with Gerard, and after a week of cajoling, she had finally agreed.

So here she was. It had taken her forever this morning deciding what to wear. She finally decided on a black business dress. If she did work up the courage to actually go talk to Gerard, she didn't want to be wearing something too revealing. At the last minute, thought, she decided to not wear the pin she normally wore with the dress, so the swooping neckline of the dress exposed a hint of her cleavage.

Gerard's speech ended, and a large group of people quickly formed around him, vying for his attention. Jen saw that many were very attractive women. Everyone else started moving out of the room, and Jen was left sitting by herself. She was trying to decide whether to join the crowd around Gerard — she didn't really want to do that, especially with all the other women already there -- when they made eye contact from across the room. She saw Gerard's face take on a quizzical look, then one of recognition. Gerard broke away from the crowd, and quickly walked towards her.

"Jen, right? From college?"

"That's right," Jen replied, both surprised and flattered that he remembered her. She rose, and Gerard gave her a friendly peck on her cheek.

"It's so good to see you, after all these years. And you look as beautiful now as you did back then. More beautiful, in fact."

Jen couldn't help blushing. "Thank you."

"What brings you here?"

Jen had rehearsed her lie. "Well, I was in the hotel having lunch with a girl friend, and I saw you were speaking. So I thought I'd stop by and say hi."

Gerard smiled. "Well, I'm glad you did. Come, let's get a drink and catch up."

For the next hour, Jen and Gerard sat in the hotel bar and chatted. Gerard was well traveled and entertained her with many interesting stories of his experiences since college. Gerard was charming and charismatic, and she couldn't help being attracted to him. He was also good company, and she enjoyed talking to him.

"So, you're married?" Gerard asked.

"Yes, twenty years. And we have a daughter in college."

Gerard glanced at the wedding and engagement rings on Jen's left hand. He hadn't really noticed them before. At first it was just a momentary glance, but then something clicked in his mind, and he looked at them closer, studying them. All of the sudden, his face broke into a wide, almost sly grin.

"Jen, I think I recognize your rings."

"What?" Jen asked, confused.

Gerard took Jen's left hand in his. His large black hands engulfed her small hand. "Your rings," he said. "They're very unique. I'm sure I've seen them before. In pictures, sent to me over the Internet."

Jen flushed. It never occurred to her that Gerard might recognize her through her rings.

Gerard was still smiling. "It was you in the pictures, wasn't it?" he asked confidently.

Jen knew she was caught. She nodded.

"This wasn't a chance meeting, was it?"

Jen was so embarrassed she couldn't bring herself to respond, but her rapidly reddening cheeks gave him his answer.

Gerard smiled. Then he boldly placed a hand on Jen's silky knee, under the table they were sitting at. "You have a wonderful body." He began to slowly caress Jen's leg.